Law Center Hosts Winter Graduation Ceremony

The Shepard Broad Law Center hosted its 2008 winter graduation ceremony for 32 graduates and their families on Sunday, Dec. 21, in the Rose & Alfred Miniaci Performing Arts Center on NSU’s main campus.

Chad Van Horn, a native of Pittsburgh, was chosen by the graduating class to present the student address.  During law school, Van Horn held memberships in both the Environmental Law Society and the Evening Law Student Society, and consistently worked 40 hours a week. He concentrated in international law and supplemented his classes with a study abroad in Rome, Italy.

NSU President Ray Ferrero, Jr., addresses the graduates and their families.

The class also chose Professor Angela Gilmore to speak on behalf of the entire faculty. Professor Gilmore has been a member of the law center's faculty since 1992. She currently teaches Property Law, Sales Law and Nonprofit Organizations Law, directs the Law Center's evening division, and is faculty advisor to the Evening Law Students Association.

A unique aspect of the graduation ceremony is that each student can choose to be “hooded” by a family member or faculty member who has had significant influence on his/her academic career. The hooding ceremony was followed by a reception in the Law Center atrium.

Law Center Dean Athornia Steele (left) congratulates a graduate.

Among the graduates was Meaghan Edelstein, who survived a near-fatal battle with cervical cancer while in law school and now has a blog to encourage others facing cancer. Her achievement was profiled in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel and can be read here:
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/schools/sfl-flbcancerbloggersbdec20,0,1029530.story.